Pressing machine



April 23, 1940. SUTTON I 2,198,419

PRESSING MACHINE Filed Jan. 3, 1938 Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNlTED STATES 2,198,419 PRESSING MACHINE Harry G. Sutton, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to United States Hoffman Machinery Corporation,

New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application January 3, 1938, Serial No. 183,187

2 Claims.

This invention pertains to garment pressing machines and has for its main object the provision of means whereby the operator is protected from the radiant heat which emanates from the pressing elements and from the steam which may be employed to dampen the goods being pressed. The structure is such that the operators hands are left free to adjust the goods upon the fixed pressing elements, or, in other words, to maintain the lay thereof.

Stated more specifically, the invention relates to means associated with a fixed portion of the machine, usually the table which extends toward the front of the machine in spaced relation to the fixed pressing member.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of so much of a garment pressing machine as is necessary to a full understanding of the present invention, the parts being broken away to more clearly show certain details;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the forward portion of the table showing the cut-out portion at the forward edge thereof and positioned with reference tothe other parts of the machine so that the operator is left free to actuate the pedals commonly present in such structures, and to manipulate and ensure proper lay of the goods or garment upon the fixed pressing element. This view also shows the air chamber or duct positioned with reference to said cut-out portion from which air is caused to pass in an upward direction to form a concave curtain, so to speak, which is thrown upwardly in front of the operator, or more specifically between the operators body and the pressing elements of the machine; and

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line III-III of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, l denotes a portion of the base of the machine upon which is mounted and secured a fixed table I l, and extending upwardly therefrom is a standard 12 forming the support for the buck or lower pressing member I3. The head or upper pressing element is denoted by I4 and is designed to be brought downwardly into pressing operation with the garment or goods imposed upon the buck.

Any mechanism to accomplish this may be employed, and as indicated in Fig. 1, a handle I5 is also present and facilitates the downward movement of the head with reference to the buck.

The head and buck are usually heated by steam and as a consequence considerable heat radiates therefrom which is, of course, under certain conditions quite annoying to the operator. So, too, where steam is employed to dampen the goods by beingejected from the under face of the head and the goods are held against the same by the operator or where, as is usual, the head is brought down upon the buck to elfect a pressing operation, the steam which is ejected from the head or from both the head and the buck is caused to traveloutwardly beyond the margin of the elements and at the forward portion of the machine steam will be projected toward the operator.

The cut-away portion at the forward edge of the table II above referred to, will preferably be contoured as shown in Fig. 2. In other words, there is a substantially U-shaped depression formed in the edge and of a width sufiicient to allow the operator to stand close to his machine and in position to operate the pedals and likewise to obtain proper lay of the goods upon the buck.

Secured to the under face of the table and having a contour similar in form to the cut-away ,or. recessed forward edge of the same is a chambered element E6, the chamber at its upper forward edge being formed with an upwardly opening slot I! (see Fig. 3) the slot standing outwardly of the forward margin or wall [8 of the cutaway portion of the table.

. The innermost wall IQ of the slot I1 is preferably formed at an. angle so that it narrows from the lower portion toward the upper discharge side in order to concentrate the stream of air which passes outwardly and upwardly from the air chamber or duct l6. Connected to a nozzle 2| formed as an integral extension of the .duct 16 is a flexible coupling, as for instance a section of rubber hose 22, to which in turn is attached a discharge passage of a fan 23, said fan being preferably driven by an electric motor 24 (see Fig. 2). A rotatable valve 25 is connected to the intake or eye of the fan within easy reach of the operator, so that the capacity of the fan may be out down or increased by opening or closing the valve. This valve may be partially closed or partially opened, or fully closed and fully opened, either by hand or by the operator pressing his leg against the valve operating means.

In the structure shown, see more particularly Fig. 1, the rotatable element of the valve has secured to it a plate-like arm or lever 26 and a spring 21 connected thereto tends to throw the arm to one or the other side of the vertical, acting in efiect like a toggle switch.

In the position shown in Fig. 1, the valve is open and pressure by the operators knee or leg against the arm or lever 26 will tend to close the valve, and if thrown beyond the point where the spring passes the center, it will flip over and entirely close the valve, thus shutting off the air blast. Conversely, the operator may open the valve by pressing his knee or leg against the opposite face of the arm or lever 26, and bring the valve to its open position. The spring 21 may be omitted and the valve wholly or partially opened, or wholly or partially closed, as desired, by manipulating the arm or lever 26, the parts being held in their adjusted position by friction.

A line 28 leading from a source of current has included in it a snap or toggle switch 29 also within easy reach of the operator, whereby the motor which drives the fan may be started or stopped as desired. The motor and fan will preferably be attached to fixed elements of the frame of the machine and vibration between the combined motor and fan and the other elements of the structure will be diminished by the utilization of the flexible coupling 22. So, too, this coupling tends to cut down the transmission of any noise emanating from the combined fan and motor which might otherwise be transmitted to the hollow duct or chamber [6.

The arrangement of the parts and the formation and operation of the air blast which takes the form of a curtain extending upwardly in front of the operator and between him and the heated elements i3, i4, is such as to cut off the direct heat from him as well as to create a movement of air to a greater or less extent beneath the table I i, this by reason of the fact that the air intake of the fan lies well below the table. The main volume of this current of air serves to convey away from the person of the operator the radiated heat from the pressing members and the remainder of the curtain of air serves to circulate up and around the body of the operator.

It is to be noted that the force of the blast passing outwardly from the slot I1 is so directed that the lay of the goods upon the buck will not be disttu'bed thereby, especially light materials such as silks. It is to be further noted that the blast of air does not come into direct contact with the members l3 and I4, hence there is no condensation of the steam therein brought about by the blast, as would take place if the air were blown directly against these elements.

While I have referred to the members l3 and id as both being heated, which is the usual commercial embodiment of today, one or the other may be heated and one or the other may have steam projected therefrom. In other words, I do not desire to limit my invention to the exact arrangement of heating such elements and the projection of steam therefrom.

The term pressing machine as herein used is to be interpreted as applying either to a garment or laundry press in which at least one of the pressing elements is heated, and may also have means for projecting steam therefrom against the goods being operated upon.

While the structure is primarily designed to be used in conjunction with a pressing machine having a table with a recessed portion to allow the operator to stand in a comfortable position with reference to the buck and head to effect the proper lay of the goods, still in a broader aspect of the invention, the necessity of the presence of the table is not absolutely essential, nor is it necessary to contour the forward edge of the table if the latter be a relatively narrow one.

What is claimed is:

1. In a garment pressing machine having at least one heated pressing element; a supporting table extending laterally of the pressing mechanism and contoured to provide a substantially U- shaped space in which the operator of the machine may stand; an air conduit under said table and terminating in a U-shaped discharge nozzle contracted toward its discharge end and having a narrow slot aligning with the edge of the U- shaped contoured portion of said table to direct a thin curtain of air upwardly between said U- shaped space and the heated pressing element of the machine; and means for supplying air under pressure to said air conduit.

2. In a garment pressing machine having at least one heated pressing element and a steaming means for the pressing mechanism, from which means steam may be discharged during the operation of the machine; a supporting table extending forwardly of the machine and contoured to provide a substantially U-shaped space in which the operator of the machine may stand; a source of air under pressure located beneath said table; and an air conduit connected to said source and having a discharge nozzle of substantial U-shape aligned with the edge of the U- shaped contoured portion of said space, said nozzle being contracted toward its discharge end and terminating in a narrow elongated slot extending substantially throughout the length of said U-shaped space to direct an air stream upwardly between said space and the heated element of the machine.

HARRY G. SUTTON. 

